Where and how do you store your engine hoist?

[hackster]

Looking for some creative and clean ways that you store your engine hoist out of the way and uncluttered...

Pics would be awesome!!

Mine folds up but no matter where I put it it seems to be in the way. Still a 2'x2' floor area that is being consumed 99% of the time. Ill get a photo later today.

Sean

 

[rmc115]

Mine does not fold, so I disassemble it, leg base, upright and ram and then stand it up to the wall and secure it. also anyone that borrows it has to store it for a while. Mike

 

[cglasgow]

Until recently, I "stored" mine at my buddy's house. He asked to borrow it and was slow to return it. I didn't make any effort to get it back until I needed it -- better in his way than mine! ;-)

 

[bad_idea]

I keep it at Dad's house! He disassembles it into small pieces and crams it under his workbench. What else you gonna do with that space under the bottom shelf? Works out great for me too. Transporting it to my house when I need it is much easier when it is in small, manageable pieces.

 

[OldTC]

Mines one of those cheap-assed Chinese Harbor folding cranes. I'm about ready to store it on Craigs List and go buy a real one. What was I thinking?
It reaches out about 22 inches at the quarter ton setting.

To answer your question, I just fold up the legs and push it back against the wall.

 

[bmwpower]

Not any good way to get mine out of the way. One of things you always need once you move it out of the shop.

 

[RECox286]

When I needed or thought I needed a crane, I went and looked at all

the different designs I could find. Then I went to the local steel supplier

and bought what I needed to make my own, incorporating some of the

more neat-o ideas that I had seen. The cylinder (jack) was purchased

at HF, and everything else I fabricated from stock or scrap. I probably

could have bought one cheaper, but I think I have a crane that will do

more than what I ask of it.

Where do I keep it ? Horse of a different color... It is relegated to

the apron in front of my shop, wrapped in a tarp. So far so good.

Uncle Bob

 

[blk00ss]

When I needed or thought I needed a crane, I went and looked at all

the different designs I could find. Then I went to the local steel supplier

and bought what I needed to make my own, incorporating some of the

more neat-o ideas that I had seen. The cylinder (jack) was purchased

at HF, and everything else I fabricated from stock or scrap. I probably

could have bought one cheaper, but I think I have a crane that will do

more than what I ask of it.

Where do I keep it ? Horse of a different color... It is relegated to

the apron in front of my shop, wrapped in a tarp. So far so good.

Uncle Bob

Pics?

 

[RECox286]

I wish I had the wherewithall to post pics, but I am in the stone ages

and am stuck with only the power of words. I really do envy youse

guys, to be able to speak with pictures.

Sorry...

Uncle Bob

 

[Jere]

I have been storing mine under a rolling shelf, but I just got that out of the garage. I have been thinking the same question of what to do with it. Might have to clear out stuff on the work bench shelf now and disassemble the thing now...

 

[toomany]

Keep mine in front of the breezeway between the garage and house. It's tucked up behind the big trash can. Can't see it until Tuesday night when trash goes out, gets hidden again Wed when I get home from work. I keep it locked to the cement with an anchor bolt and chain.

 

[redpost]

Like others, I disassemble mine and store it horizontally against a wall and behind an air compressor and blast cabinet. Prior to that I would store the pieces under my oil tank...there was not much other use for that space.

 

[kenners]

I store mine in the shed. I put 2 X 4's from one leg to another and store my box blade for the tractor in line with the legs.

 

[May Pop]

Im like REDPOST above. When its at my house I take it apart and store behind my compressor. I will lend it to a couple of friends I know will return it at a days notice so better their shop than mine.

Ron

 

[trythis]

Mine straddles my 7 x12 horizontal bandsaw. My pallet jack slides underneath the hoist and also straddles the saw both on the pivot end. I keep the boom up as high as it goes and it doesn't get in the way. They seem like they were made with all that in mind.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I have a friend who will lend me his hoist whenever I need one, so it gets stored at his place.

 

[LB62]

Mines one of those cheap-assed Chinese Harbor folding cranes. I'm about ready to store it on Craigs List and go buy a real one. What was I thinking?
It reaches out about 22 inches at the quarter ton setting.

To answer your question, I just fold up the legs and push it back against the wall.

I agree... I have a HF and I just fold it and put it against the wall.

 

[ElectroLight]

Mine is an Arcan from Costco about 15 years ago. It resides on my patio, not pretty any more but still works fine. I plan on wire brushing and painting it here shortly.

 

[Steevo]

Not terribly creative, but as out-of-the-way as I can manage:

 

[stratman977]

I keep mine out in the barn. It doubles as a bird bench/toilet while its out there. Maybe you could hang a planter or a bird bath off of it and convince your wife to let you keep it out front.

 

[fourjeepin]

A buddy and I went in together and bought one. Our goal is to keep it loaned out for storage. You want to borrow it? Great, but you have to store it until the next person needs it. It has worked out well for us.

 

[volaredon]

Until recently, I "stored" mine at my buddy's house. He asked to borrow it and was slow to return it. I didn't make any effort to get it back until I needed it -- better in his way than mine! ;-)

done that before I recently sold it on CL cuz my buddies were using it more than me and I was having a hard time keepin track of it; when it was here, 80% of the time it was in my way.

 

[Falcon67]

Mine is a big red one and it's just folded up and parked in a corner. I pull out the extension on the lift arm and hang it from the handle in the back by the hook. I wrap a towel around the front of the lift arm because that's what you bang your leg into going by the hoist. Folded, it takes up a little less than a 3' square. Since it's on casters, if it is in the way HERE, it can be shoved over THERE.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

I have two of them, and fold them so they can hug each other.. I don't want them banged up or left outside to fade or rust..So, they stay in the shop and are ready to use in a moments notice.

 

[RVDan]

Mine is an Arcan from Costco about 15 years ago. It resides on my patio, not pretty any more but still works fine. I plan on wire brushing and painting it here shortly.

Possibly the same one as me, waaay too heavy, fold up legs that are hard to line the bolts back up, and its forever trying to pinch your fingers, and steel wheels that stop dead on the tiniest of items on the shop floor

Mine stands outside because its far too bulky

 

[4v shane]

Some genius out there needs to design one that folds completely flat damn near and include mounting plates for the wall..............

 

[hackster]

I cannot believe out of all the brilliant minds on here that there is no ideal storage solutions for this?

Mine like everyone elses is stored on the garage floor taking up space. My problem is that my garage is not huge by any means at 20' deep so taking up 2' of depth is a real loss for me.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, it does help me think of ways to do things different.

Some genius out there needs to design one that folds completely flat damn near and include mounting plates for the wall..............

This is exactly what I was thinking when I posted up this question. I mean this cannot be that hard to do. I think that might just be this weeks project, build a wall mount for my engine hoist so that when I do not need it it comes apart and goes into a wall mounted bracket up and out of the way.

I even think I can do it pretty clean and have it only stick out a coupole inches from the wall. We will see.

Thanks for the great suggestions guys, keep em coming.

Sean

 

[e30bradley]

I keep mine assembled.. It doesn't fold and taking it apart and then having to put it back together is too much work. I have wood across the legs to make the space more useable. I usually have an engine sitting on a tire, on the wood between the legs..lol at the moment it has a pontiac (or buick?) 3.4l V6 block on it in a tire with my drill press and some other junk.. A ford ranger flywheel, a tool kit from my first car, and other ****.

 

[Falcon67]

Some genius out there needs to design one that folds completely flat damn near and include mounting plates for the wall..............

Not a bad thought. I can see where a foldable could be modified for that. However - my crane came from a Pep Boys sale for $99. However, the materials are not so much cheapie and the pieces weigh enough that I would not want to take it apart and try to hang it on the wall. The fold up legs are probably 20 lbs each.

 

[e30bradley]

I just took some pictures.. Right now my engine lift has on it:
pontiac 3.4 V6 block on a tire
drill press
propane tank
40lbs kitty litter (for spilled oil)
vw took kit
2.5 ford ranger rhyno pak heavy duty flywheel
engine stabilizer
chains
tons of spare bicycle tubes
and probably some more junk I'm forgetting but the space it takes up is used well.

the garage is 24"x24" My space on one side, junk and my brother's car on the other.

 

[383 240z]

Mine is kept ram down, front legs up, rear legs all the way in, backed up against the wall, between 2 of the bays. I find it the least obstructive place, plus its ready to go pretty quick. I would take it apart at store it on the pallet racking but I use it to often. Only bad thing about this is when a buddy needs to borrow it. It's their job to get it around the other tools and projects to the roll up doors. Keith

 

[dmeadow]

I used to have an enormous one like e30bradley's, pretty much all that was available at the time I bought it. I finally realized that I was only pulling small engines and gave it to my friend that dealt with Lincolns. I bought one similar to this one, although, IIRC, mine is 3/4 ton:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200305491_200305491

It all folds up into a fairly compact package, although it still takes up some floor space. At least I'm not tripping over it and banging my head against the lifting arm all the time like I was with the old monster.

 

[Chuck McB]

I've got one of those Tip Tow jobs that I bought used and it's way too big to go in the shop so it sits outside.....until I build another tool shed.

 

[MP&C]

Right now it's in my brother in law's garage. I told him just the other day to take his time with it...

 

[gipp]

I'm the opposite of MP&C. I'm the brother in law storing the hoist at my house. The legs come off and it takes up about a 2ft sq amount of floor space. It fits within the profile of my sand blast cabinet/stand along with an engine stand and welding tanks, etc.
I'm more likely to use it next than my brother in law and I don't have a good way to transport it so I'm happy with the situation.

 

[BigDogSS]

I store my engine hoist and engine stand at the rental yard. ;-) OK, I actually sold them because they take up too much room to justify keeping them vs. the amount of time they are actually in use. In their place, I bought other big tools that will be used more often: a blast cabinet, drill press and shop press.

 

[thaxboyd]

Some genius out there needs to design one that folds completely flat damn near and include mounting plates for the wall..............

I will take that challenge

 

[Blacklisted]

Like alot of others here, I don't use it much so it gets taken apart and stored the best it can. I would like to see what others have come up with for storage also.

 

[RCPro87]

Well I don't use it a lot but its ready nearby. I have a bunch of floor so I'm really not strapped for space. It sits here about 99.9% of the time. I use everything around it more than I even touch it.

 

[gjz30075]

I will take that challenge

Subscribing here, looking for that solution